Machine for harvesting beets and like tubers



p 18, 1962 c. J. STEKETEE 3,054,460

MACHINE FOR HARVESTING BEETS AND LIKE TUBERS Filed Sept. 27, 1960INVENTOR COR NEL i 5 J. STEKETEE United States 3,054,460 MACHINE FORHARVESTING BEETS AND LIKE TUBERS Cornelis J. Steketee, 11 Korteweg,Driewegen, Zevenbergen, Netherlands Filed Sept. 27, 1960, Ser. No.58,805 Claims priority, application Netherlands Oct. 12, 1959 4 Claims.(Cl. 17158) The invention relates to a machine for harvesting beets andlike tubers, said machine being provided with at least one pair ofmutually cooperating circular sets of rodshaped lifting elements. Saidlifting elements are arranged in such a manner that the summit of theacute angle enclosed by the elements in their lowermost position withthe central longitudinal plane of the machine is directed forwards. Eachrod-shaped lifting element of the one set is followed in the directionof rotation of the sets by a rod-shaped lifting element of the otherset.

A machine of this kind is known in which both sets of rod-shaped liftingelements cooperating with each other are secured on a common rotatingshaft extending transversely in horizontal direction. With said knownmachine the rod-shaped lifting elements approach the beet to be liftedout of the ground from above and it appeared that the lifting elementscan hit the head of the beet and then damage same.

The invention has for its object to remove said drawback and to this endeach circular set of lifting elements is secured to a separate shaftsection and driving means being provided for rotating said shaftsections in the same sense, and the axes of said shaft sectionsenclosing an angle with each other of at least 140 and not exceeding 160and having its summit directed upwards. With said position of the shaftsections the rod-shaped lifting elements are approaching the beetlaterally so that they can not hit the head of the beet, whereas thelifting action of the rod-shaped elements is still maintained.

Preferably a grate is arranged between the sets of lifting elements, anda conveyor for receiving the beets and according to the invention theplane containing the axes of both shaft sections may enclose with ahorizontal plane an angle of at least 60 and not exceeding 80 as viewedin the direction of travel of the machine. With said embodiment thebeets receive an additional upwards directed component.

The invention will further be described with reference to theaccompanying drawing showing an embodiment of the machine according tothe invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical side view of a part of both circular sets oflifting elements with a grate located behind said sets of liftingelements.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lifting elements and of the grate.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the machine on a smaller scale.

The shaft sections 4a and 4b each carry a disc 5 to which blade-like orfoot-shaped lifting or striking elements 2 and 3 respectively aresecured by means of radial arms 1. Each striking element has a toeportion 2a or 3a and a heel portion 212 or 3b. The shaft sections 4a and4b enclosing with each other an angle having its summit di- 3,054,460Patented Sept. 18, 1962 rected upwards. Said shaft sections 4a and 4bare supported in brackets 14a and 14b respectively and said bracketsform part of a frame 13 and to each of said shaft sections a bevel gear15a and 1512 respectively is secured and said gears mesh with eachother.

The gear 15b is driven by a conical pinion 16 secured to a driving shaft6 in such a manner that the discs 5 are rotated in the same sense asindicated by the arrow b in FIG. 1.

Between the discs 5 and the conveyor 7 for taking up the beets andcarrying same upwards a grate 8 is arranged, said grate being V-shapedand terminating in a nose 9 which is inclined downwards to a certaindegree. The grate 8 is provided with arms 10 bent upwards and by meansof said arms the grate is secured to a part 11 of the frame of themachine. The grate has three or more longitudinal bars 12 and thecentral bar of said bars is lying on a higher level than the outer bars.

The machine which is provided with ground wheels 17 is moved forwards 0nthe ground above a row of beets in the direction of the arrow a shown inFIG. 1 and the rod-shaped lifting elements 1 will alternately press onthe one side and the other side against the beet so that it will beshaken and lifted out of the ground and thrown to the rear on theconveyor 7.

With the embodiment shown in the drawing the foot- .shaped elements 2and 3 respectively may be located approximately in the plane of thediscs 5, but in their lowermost position the rod-shaped elements shouldenclose with the vertical longituidnal plane of the machine an acuteangle having its summit directed forwards. The width of the elements 2and 3 increase towards their end, or heel portions, contacting the beetin order to obtain a large pressure surface.

The shaft sections 4a and 4b of the discs 5 preferably are directed soas to have the plane containing their axes enclosing with a horizontalplane an angle of at least and not exceeding as viewed in the directionof the arrow a. With the described construction each strik ing elementwhen in its lowermost, or beet striking, position has its toe inclinedupwardly and outwardly and its heel substantially in or approaching thevertical central plane of the machine, and as a result the beets receivefrom the lifting elements a blow having an upwardly directed as well asa lateral component so that the beets are ultimately guided on to thegrate 8.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for harvesting beets and like tubers comprising at leastone rotatable member having two sets of oppositely disposed foot-shaped,beet striking elements, the striking elements of one set being mountedin staggered relation with respect to the striking elements of the otherset, each said striking element having a toe portion and a heel portion,and each said striking element when in its lowermost position having itstoe portion inclined upwardly and outwardly and the innermost part ofits heel portion lying substantially in the same plane as the innermostpart of the heel portion of the next striking element as the latterreaches its lowermost position.

2. A machine for harvesting beets and like tubers according to claim 1wherein two rotatable members are provided, the striking elements ofeach set being supported in a circular arrangement on one of saidmembers,

each of said members being secured to a separate drive shaft and theaxes of the said shafts enclosing an :angle of at least 140 and notexceeding 160 whose sides converge upwardly. I

3. A machine for harvesting beets and like tubers according to claim 2wherein said shafts are inclined inwardly, upwardly and forwardly of themachine so that a plane containing the axes of both shafts encloses witha horizontal plane an angle less than 90.

4. A machine for harvesting beets and like tubers according to claim 3wherein a grate is provided between 4 v A r the sets of strikingelements and a conveyor for receiving the beets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS319,478 Garrett June 9, 1885 2,682,739 Bozeman et a1. July 6, 19542,888,081 Hammer et a1 May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Belgium Jan. 15,1957

